HongKongPhooey - A Quiet Legend
Ladies and gentlemen, my March of War name is Masaharta. I served the Shogun Empire for 15 consecutive terms as faction leader and had the honor of leading them to many victories. Throughout my time as a faction leader and as a player in this game, I have always been on the lookout for acts of bravery and heroic sacrifice. I have witnessed many acts of valor on the game’s battlefield and I have witnessed many acts of dedication in the game’s political world. However, no deed of valor or dedication has come close to the one that I will tell you about in this post. In order for you to fully understand the heroic sacrifice of this individual, I must begin several weeks before he actually started making it. The Shogun Empire was flush with victory after successfully defeating the United Republic in a war. We counted on several days to regroup before having to begin fighting another war. However, our rest was short due to the faction leader elections happening the day after we ended our campaign against the Republic. The faction leader elections brought the world new leaders and the Shogun Empire found itself thrown into a war with the European Alliance. While we were able to hold our own, the Republic and the Alliance formed a war pact to attack the Empire. We gradually began to lose ground and were driven back towards our rally point in India. Eventually, we stabilized our ground as we managed to isolate a single faction to fight by allowing the Alliance to win certain territories to block the Republic from attacking us. Soon after this tactical move, my spies learned that Republic leaders were discussing a plan with certain Alliance leaders to place a Republic High Commander in the Soviet Union faction leader position. This news was a game changer for me and the Shogun leadership. I alone knew the danger that we were facing. We were hard pressed to defend ourselves and avoid the disgrace of being wiped by fighting two factions at a time. However, I knew that, if the Soviet Union joined the Republic and Alliance in attacking us, we would be wiped. Consequently, I ordered Shogun High Command to redouble their efforts to push back the invaders and I assembled my most trusted seconds to confer on what we should do. Our danger was truly alarming and we all knew that none of us would have ever bought peace at the price the Union and the Republic were demanding. After a lengthy consultation, I volunteered to make an attempt at becoming the Union Faction Leader in order to preserve our honor. However, fate dictated that this was not to be. Certain people and certain circumstances exposed my attempt to become Union Faction Leader and it was snuffed out before it had a chance to get started. Desperate and facing a wipe, I summoned my inner circle for another emergency meeting where we weighed our alternatives. None of them were good. At the last moment, my second in command and best in-game friend, HongKongPhooey, stood forth and volunteered to make a run for Union Faction Leader. I warned him vigorously that he risked tarnishing his reputation forever if he was able to gain the position. Despite my warnings and concern, he insisted, saying, “It is better to stain my reputation 10,000 times in the eyes of the world than suffer the horrible disgrace of being wiped by these foul Yangs when I could have stopped it.” With our support and infinite labor, he managed to win the Union faction leader elections. Things began to change as he began to distract the Alliance with attacks on the border. With infinite labor, Shogun forces pushed the Alliance out of our land and dealt a severe lesson to the Republic. Meanwhile, HongKongPhooey (HKP as we affectionately call him) quickly drew a firestorm on himself for his actions. It did not take long for people to suspect him being a Shogun High Commander. Soon afterwards, they discovered who he really was and hate really started to come down on his shoulders. The reputation he had developed as a Shogun High Commander was gone in an instant and the poor fellow could barely get a kind word in World Leaders Chat. However, true to his form, Old Fire & Sword gave back just as much fire as he received. The Alliance and Republic were never able to unite against the Shogun Empire again and the Empire survived the greatest danger that ever threatened it under my leadership. Today, when you mention the name HongKongPhooey, the chances are that you will receive a ton of messages on what a bastard that guy is. HKP is a modest man. Very few people outside those in my inner circle knew the circumstances that surrounded his actions in going to the Union. He is content to quietly live in the knowledge of what he accomplished. As he truly said when he volunteered for the mission, he values his loyalty to the Empire above everything else and performing his duty to it is ample reward for what he has suffered. For those who hate him, it is not hard to acknowledge that he probably could have done several things better in his time in the Union, but who among us is perfect? Furthermore, why do members of the Alliance and the Republic hate him? The answer is simple. He was singlehandedly responsible for stopping their designs on the same position by beating them to it. To them, this is intolerable. They may offer other reasons for their dislike and disrespect for HKP; however, deep inside, they all know that their hatred stems from his skill in being too quick for them. The Empire has had many legends of the battlefield. Many great and wise Faction Leaders and High Commanders have written their legends over a long time of service to the Empire. However, HKP has written two legends for himself. One is that of a ferocious battlefield commander whose fiery dedication to the Empire and jealous guardianship of its interest has earned him the nickname Old Fire & Sword. The other one is an everlasting legend. It tells a story of a leader who displayed heroic sacrifice and selflessness to save his brother and sisters in the hour of the greatest danger they ever faced. By sacrificing the honor that he supposedly received from others, HKP became the greatest living example of Bushido in Shogun history. To others, HongKongPhooey may appear to be a conniving snake in the grass who lacks the honor that is normally associated with a Shogun. However, on behalf of a grateful faction that will never forget his sacrifice, I hereby make known the true, unexaggerated facts surrounding HongKongPhooey’s mission to the Soviet Union. Speaking for the Shogun Empire and the High Commanders who stood with us that fateful day when he volunteered, we pledge our own sacred honor on the character and sacrifice of a man who went above and beyond the call of his duty to preserve his nation. As his commander and fellow Shogun leader for 15 terms as Shogun Faction Leader, I will vouch for his integrity and sense of honor with my own honor and can say that I am damn proud and honored to have served with a legend of his caliber. Finally, as a man who is proud and honored to call him a friend, I admire the strength of his character and I will defend it against all accusations and impeachments. The legend of HongKongPhooey is not glorious to the naked eye. Instead, it tells a story of dedication, heroic sacrifice, and honor that no one who does not have an open mind will be able to understand. As the honor that he received from other players was destroyed in front of his eyes, HKP purified our sense of honor and dedication by his own heroic sacrifices. Words cannot express how much the Empire owes him and how strong his character and sense of honor is. For a long time, HongKongPhooey has gone without a formal recognition of his valor and sacrifice. Enough time has passed to reveal the full truth and establish his character to the world. Thank you, HongKongPhooey! Category:SEHC